The Startling Truth About Servicing the Million-Dollar Bugatti Bolide Hypercar

Recently, real estate billionaire Manny Khoshbin, one of the first owners of the Bugatti Bolide in the US, shared his real-world experience with this car on his personal YouTube channel, attracting the attention of nearly 1.75 million subscribers.

One of the most surprising revelations was the tire maintenance guideline. According to Bugatti, Bolide owners need to replace the tires every 60 km when driven on a racetrack to ensure optimal performance and prevent high-speed accidents.

The tire preparation process before the first drive is equally intricate: tires must be mounted, dismounted, and remounted three times to create uniform friction on the surface, enhancing road grip.

A new set of Bolide tires costs approximately $8,000 (207.95 million VND), which is expensive but still more affordable than the $7,200 (187.16 million VND) street tire package for the Chiron and significantly less than the $42,000 (1.09 billion VND) set for the Bugatti Veyron.

Since the Bolide is not meant for street use, Bugatti also offers a smaller set of tires for transportation purposes. If the car is only displayed in a temperature-controlled garage, owners can extend the tire replacement cycle to five years with special display tires.

Behind these massive tires lies a carbon-carbon braking system, said to be the largest ever fitted to a race-focused hypercar. However, Bugatti has not disclosed the maintenance costs for this category, and many speculate that replacement costs will be extremely high.

It’s not just the tires; many interior components of the Bolide also have a limited lifespan, especially when subjected to the harsh conditions of racetrack driving. Items requiring periodic replacement include seatbelts, seat padding, fuel tanks, and fire extinguishers (the fire extinguisher system’s battery has a lifespan of only about a year).

To ensure safety when traveling at speeds over 320 km/h, Bugatti equips the Bolide with an engine shut-off system and an emergency fire suppression system, activated by a dedicated button on the central console or a red handle on the exterior of the vehicle.

Starting the 8.0L W16 engine with four turbochargers, producing 1,578 horsepower, is no simple task either. First, the owner must turn on the main switch, then the ignition, and finally, the start button located on the detachable steering wheel, similar to modern endurance race car designs.

Additionally, the Bolide does not feature an active cooling system. After each track session, the car must be manually cooled with portable fans for at least 30 minutes. During this time, the owner also needs to refuel with specialized racing gasoline with an octane rating of 110.

TH (Tuoitrethudo)